Nineveh’s Complete Ruin

1aWoe° to the bloody° city°, completely° full° of lies° [and] pillage°; [Her] prey° never° departs°.
2 The anoise° of the whip°, The noise° of the rattling° of the wheel°, Galloping° horses° And Ibounding° chariots°!
3 Horsemen° charging°, Swords° flashing°, aspears° gleaming°,bMany° slain°, a mass° of corpses°, And Iccountless°° dead° bodies° They stumble° over IIthe dead° bodies°!
4 [All] because° of the amany° harlotries° of the harlot°, The charming°° one°, the bmistress° of sorceries°, Who csells° nations° by her harlotries° And families° by her sorceries°.
5 “Behold°, aI am against° you,” declares° the LORD° of hosts°; “And I will Iblift° up your skirts° over° your face°, And cshow° to the nations° your nakedness° And to the kingdoms° your disgrace°.
6 “I will athrow°Ifilth° on you And bmake° you vile°, And set° you up as a cspectacle°.
7 “And it will come° about that all° who see° you Will Ishrink° from you and say°, ‘Nineveh° is devastated°!aWho° will grieve° for her?’ Where° will I seek° comforters° for you?”

8 ¶ Are you better° than°IaNo-amon°°, Which was situated° by the bwaters° of the Nile°, With water° surrounding° her, Whose° rampart° [was] IIthe sea°, Whose wall° [consisted] of IIthe sea°?
9aEthiopia° was [her] might°, And Egypt° too, without° limits°.bPut° and cLubim° were among Iher helpers°.
10 Yet° she abecame an exile°, She went° into captivity°; Also° her bsmall children° were dashed° to pieces°cAt the head° of every° street°; They dcast° lots° for her honorable° men, And all° her great° men° were bound° with fetters°.
11 You too° will become°adrunk°, You will be bhidden°. You too° will search° for a refuge° from the enemy°.
12 All° your fortifications° are afig° trees° with Ibripe° fruit° When° shaken°, they fall° into the eater’s° mouth°.
13 Behold°, your people° are awomen° in your midst°! The gates° of your land° are bopened° wide° to your enemies°; Fire° consumes° your gate bars°.
14aDraw° for yourself water° for the siege°!bStrengthen° your fortifications°! Go° into the clay° and tread° the mortar°! Take° hold° of the brick° mold°!
15 There°afire° will consume° you, The sword° will cut° you down°; It will bconsume° you as the locust° [does]. Multiply° yourself like the creeping° locust°, Multiply° yourself like the swarming° locust°.
16 You have increased° your atraders° more° than° the stars° of heaven° The creeping° locust°Istrips° and flies° away°.
17 Your Iaguardsmen° are like the swarming° locust°. Your bmarshals° are like hordes° of grasshoppers° Settling° in the stone walls° on a cold° day°. The sun° rises° and they flee°, And the place° where° they are is not known°.
18 Your shepherds° are asleeping°, O bking° of Assyria°; Your cnobles° are lying° down°. Your people° are dscattered° on the mountains° And there° is no° one° to regather° [them].
19 There° is ano° relief° for your breakdown°, Your bwound° is incurable°. All° who hear°Iabout° you Will cclap° [their] hands° over° you, For on whom° has not your evil° passed° continually°?

The miserable ruin of Nineveh.

1 ¶ Woeº to the bloodyº city!º it [is] all² fullº of liesº [and] robbery;º the preyº departethºª not;²2 The noiseº of a whip,º and the noiseº of the rattlingº of the wheels,º and of the pransingºª horses,º and of the jumpingºª chariots.º3 The horsemanº lifteth upºª both the brightº swordº and the glitteringº spear:º and [there is] a multitudeº of slain,º and a great¹ number² of carcases;º and [there is] none² endº of [their] corpses;º they stumbleºªªª upon their corpses:º4 Because of the multitudeº² of the whoredomsº of the wellfavouredºº harlot,ºª the mistressº of witchcrafts,º that sellethºª nationsº through her whoredoms,º and familiesº through her witchcrafts.º5 Behold,² I [am] against² thee, saithºª the LORDº of hosts;º and I will discoverºª thy skirtsº upon² thy face,º and I will shewºª the nationsº thy nakedness,º and the kingdomsº thy shame.º6 And I will castºª abominable filthº upon² thee, and make thee vile,ºª and will setºª thee as a gazingstock.º7 And it shall come to pass,² [that] all² they that look¹ª upon² thee shall fleeºª from² thee, and say,ºª Ninevehº is laid waste:ºª who² will bemoanºª her? whenceº² shall I seekºª comfortersºª for thee? 8 Art thou betterºª than populousº¹ª No,º² that was situateºª among the rivers,º [that had] the watersº round aboutº it, whose² rampartº [was] the sea,º [and] her wallº [was] from the sea?º²9 Ethiopiaº and Egyptº [were] her strength,º and [it was] infinite;ºº Putº and Lubimº were² thy helpers.º10 Yet² [was] she² carried away,º she wentºª into captivity:º her young childrenº also² were dashed in piecesºª at the topº of all² the streets:º and they castºª lotsº for² her honourable men,ºª and all² her great menº were boundºª in chains.º11 Thou² also² shalt be drunken:ºª thou shalt be² hid,ºª thou² also² shalt seekºª strengthº because of the enemy.ºª²12 All² thy strong holdsº [shall be like] fig treesº with² the firstripe figs:º if² they be shaken,ºª they shall even fallºª into² the mouthº of the eater.ºª13 Behold,² thy peopleº in the midstº of thee [are] women:º the gatesº of thy landº shall be set wide¹ª openºª unto thine enemies:ºª the fireº shall devourºª thy bars.º14 Drawºª thee watersº for the siege,º fortifyºª thy strong holds:º goºª into clay,º and treadºª the morter,º make strongºª the brickkiln.º15 There² shall the fireº devourºª thee; the swordº shall cut thee off,ºª it shall eat thee upºª like the cankerworm:º make thyself manyºª as the cankerworm,º make thyself manyºª as the locusts.º16 Thou hast multipliedºª thy merchantsºª above the starsº² of heaven:º the cankerwormº spoileth,ºª and flieth away.ºª17 Thy crownedº [are] as the locusts,º and thy captainsº as the great grasshoppers,º which campºª in the hedgesº in the coldº day,º [but] when the sunº arisethºª they flee away,ºª and their placeº is not knownºª² whereº they [are]. 18 Thy shepherdsºª slumber,ºª O kingº of Assyria:º thy noblesº shall dwellºª [in the dust]: thy peopleº is scatteredºª upon² the mountains,º and no man² gatherethºª [them]. 19 [There is] no² healingº of thy bruise;º thy woundº is grievous:ºª all² that hearºª the bruitº of thee shall clapºª the handsº over² thee: for² upon² whom² hath not² thy wickednessº passedºª continually?º